Unemployment and crime generally are the results of social marginalisation. If you think otherwise, you think wrong.
Thatās a different thing entirely to saying people who commit crime shouldnāt be held personally responsible. Again, it seems to me that Iām one of the only posters here who is saying that those who are personally responsible should be the ones blamed, while most others, certainly the reactionary right-wing ones, do not hold this view.
In terms of Ireland supposedly having a generous welfare state, the most obvious places where this can be proven to be bullshit are health and housing. Weāve never had a proper national health service in this country and we likely never will.
Like in Britain, the government decided decades ago that it had no place in the house building industry. The predictable consequences of that idiotic policy decision have came home to roost a long time ago, and keep getting worse, not just for those who are homeless, but for those who are renting and trying to buy (because the lack of social housing has been a major contributor to skyrocketing rents and house prices), as well as for those who worked in the building industry and had to emigrate - for everybody, basically, except private landlords, who now receive 55% of the state housing budget through rent allowance and housing assistance payments.
Irelandās tax to GDP ratio is 30%. That is very low compared to most other western European countries. Germany collects 44.5%, France collects 48%, Sweden and Denmark collect 50%. Finland collects 54%.
You canāt run a proper welfare state and invest productively with 30%.
Horseshit. Plenty of people in Jobstown went out to work this morning, without stopping to blame society for that fact. People generally prefer to do that.
So if you teach people to put their hands out for subsistence instead of teaching them skills and only helping them in times of needā¦theyāll turn to crime when the free ride is over? Does that not prove the point that the welfare state doesnāt work and only leads to crime?
Edger Cesynas, a 24-year old from Lithuania, of Silken Park Drive, Citywest, was charged with the theft of groceries worth ā¬50 from Lidl. Garda Fiona Morgan told the court there was no objection to granting Mr Cesynas bail, but he should be required to sign in to Tallaght Garda Station twice a week.
Povilas Gneizevicius (20), also a Lithuanian national, with an address at St Mochtaās Drive, Clonsilla, was charged with possession of stolen groceries worth ā¬60. He had a second charge of theft from the Lidl store.
He was granted bail on the condition he stay away from the Dublin 24 area, and sign in at Blanchardstown Garda Station three times a week.
Gerard Buggle (38) of Mac Uilliam Lane, Tallaght, was charged with the theft of goods worth ā¬70 from Lidl, which included LED lights, four packets of tealights, and running shoe insoles.
You know well Irelandās GDP isnāt a fair reflection. Funny how when Paul Krugman goes on about Leperchaun Economics you lap it up but happily will use it here.